Family Planning

"Nothing is more personal than building a family," said Ozcan. "That family can look different for everyone but making deliberate choices about reproductive health can help us reach those long-term goals."

Yet, "many service members aim to work in competitive occupations or attend military schools, and family planning may have to be adjusted to achieve these career goals," said Banti.

Preconception counseling is available to all service members and their dependents, said Ozcan. Service members experiencing setbacks during their fertility journey, with lack of conception after one year of regular intercourse, should first see their general gynecologist or urologist to be evaluated for infertility, recommended Ozcan. Both specialists can provide some treatment for infertility.

However, "specialty fertility care, such as IVF and intrauterine insemination, is limited to larger military hospitals and clinics," she said. "At Wright-Patterson, we partner with a civilian center in the Ohio area to provide comparable prices even though our local MHS facility does not have an embryology lab."

Given the cost of treatment for infertility in the civilian sector, these six MHS facilities provide IVF services at a reduced cost:

• Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas
• Naval Medical Center San Diego, in San Diego, Calif.
• Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash.
• Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii
• Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
• Womack Army Medical Center in Fort Bragg, N.C.

Education is Key

It's important "service members educate themselves about how environmental exposures, sexually transmitted diseases, and other health problems—such as cardiovascular disease and depression—can negatively impact the reproductive system and hormonal functions in men and women," he added.

This knowledge can allow you to make deliberate decisions about your health that can help you proactively plan for the life and career you want to successfully achieve your goals.

As such, "understanding the breadth of birth control options available for MHS beneficiaries allows service members to select the right method for their own family planning," said Banti.

Maximizing Your Health

MHS health care services allow MHS beneficiaries, particularly those in active-duty service, to maximize their operational readiness and performance by proactively taking control of their health.

Ozcan explained that for women, this can include:

• Deciding to use reliable contraceptives to prevent pregnancy.
• Taking care of your body through regular check-ups, immunizations, and screening tests.
• Optimizing your health, nutrition, and stress level prior to getting pregnant.
• Planning pregnancy when you're likely to have a high chance of success. (Fertility drops slowly in a woman's 30s with a sharper decline after 37 and a sharp drop off at 40.)
• Considering permanent contraception options like a tubal ligation or removal if you're certain you don't desire any further children, or long-term reversible contraception like IUDs or implants if you're not planning to have children and desire menstrual control.

For men, it can include:

• Utilizing condoms as a matter of fact to avoid sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy.
• Supporting a partner in decisions regarding hormonal and non-hormonal contraception.
• Considering a vasectomy if you're certain you don't desire any further children.
• Planning pregnancies prior to age 45, when male fertility rates drop and complications go up.

"Serving in the military is physically and mentally rigorous and service members should prioritize their medical readiness by avoiding sexually transmitted diseases and exposures that can degrade their reproductive health," said Banti. "Using reproductive health care can aid service members in balancing their professional and personal aspirations."

For more information, contact your health care provider.